How to teach Dan to Fetch ?

[Horseback Rider]

I am trying to teach Dan to fetch but to no avail ! I have a toy he loves it's a ball on a bit of rope.

So I throw it and he goes running after it ..........................................................
........and then when he gets to it he just walks off ??

He will play tug of war with it and pick it up and throw it around sometimes, but I dont think I am asking him in the right way ?

Any tips gratefully recived as this will also help me get one up on OH ;-)

 

[Spudlet]

lol lol I know how that ones goes! 'Yes Mummy, I do have this ball and it's lovely.... noooooo couldn't possibly bring it back....'

OK, you can clicker train this, the clicker helps because it marks the exact moment that the dog does the right thing. If you don't clicker train already, you need to charge the clicker first, which basically means conditioning the dog that the click sound means a reward (and therefore a good thing). http://www.clickertrainusa.com/chargingtheclicker.htm

I started in the kitchen with a proper gundog dummy as it was totally different to his toys. I started off by clicking and treating whenever Henry touched the dummy with his nose while I was holding it. Then I put the dummy down and did the same thing, clicked and treated when he touched it. Next, I threw it little way away from me - Henry at this point naturally ran and grabbed it, as he picked it up I clicked and treated again, so the association is now made that it's a good thing to pick up the dummy. Then it was simple to delay the click so he held it for longer each time, and to encourage him back to me with it in his mouth.

It took me about a week to teach him this, working for 10-20 minutes an evening.

Now he can do this

 

[Booboos]

I also teach it exactly like Spudlet. I use a clicker to mark the behaviour, it really speeds up the process, I use one specific dumbell for the retrieve and put it away at all other times, and I start backwards, i.e. instead of throwing I teach the dog to touch and then hold the dumbell.

 

[Ravenwood]

Do you have a long hallway or galley type kitchen? This is how I start all my dogs to fetch.

Open up all the doorways in the house to make a corridor (if you can) and have puppy sitting on your lap. Get his favourite ball and roll it down the hallway. When he runs after it and picks it up, call him back - all excited and happy - so that he runs back to you and then lots of cuddles and praises - just make it as fun as possible

The roll the ball again etc.

Eventually you can bring the whistle in at this point - two pips for him to come back as soon as he has picked up the ball

However - not all dogs are so easy!! My spaniel wasn't the least bit interested in dummies!! In the end I had to take him onto the moors/long grass, chuck the dummy and then run and fall into the long grass so that he would come and find me - hopefully with dummy still in mouth!!!

But basically - you have to compromise and do what suits yours puppy's temperament best!

Good luck

 

[CorvusCorax]

I tie ball on a rope to a line so if he doesn't bring it back to me, I do, and gets lots of praise when he arrives back with it.
Also use two balls - so as a reward for bringing one back, the other gets thrown.
Basically, the more the dog carries the object, and the closer he brings it to you, the more praise. Drops object, silence, noses and picks it up, praise, like others have said.